Kiva Territory
Enova is comprised of four territories: Harawak, Lutrenia, Kiva and Zantumay. Although the territories are civil and cooperate with each other, and all of them operate under laws decreed by the Sekai Council, each one has a unique people, culture, industry and landscape. Here is an article from a the "Envoa Encyclopedia" about Kiva Territory.
Linnea the Tenderfoot is adopted by a Kivan family. Maska and Pularis are her Enovian parents.
Click here: Kiva Pinterest Page to see pictures of how I see the Kivan landscape, the people, clothing, homes, industry, etc.
Kiva Territory
Square miles: 53,899
Population: 6,201
Physical description of the people
Kivas are very short Enovians. For men, the average height is between 5’0” and 5’5”. For women, the average height is between 4’3” and 4’8”. They’re round, with an extra layer of fat to keep warm in their extremely cold climate. They have straight white hair, like the color of snow.
Nutrients in the sana they drink, combined with the minerals in the food they eat, cause strands of metallic silver to grow in their hair, creating highlights that glimmer in the light. This combination of nutrients and minerals, also causes the Kiva’s blue eyes to sparkle like sapphires. Their eyes are typically very large, from a thousand years of living underground, and circular shaped. 32% of Kivas are born blind, a genetic mutation from living in underground.
Marriage and family
Even before The Great Collapse, Kivas considered marriage somewhat of a nuisance. A distraction from important work. However, romantic relationships are deemed necessary to stave off the mental and emotional problems that can accompany living alone. Also, they recognize it’s necessary for men and women to mate in order to procreate and ensure survival of their race.
Most Kivas ask their elders to arrange marriages for them in order to avoid spending time dating and looking for a spouse on their own. There is no ceremony or reception when a man and woman decide to become a married couple. They simply register with the governor’s office and move in together. The average age for a Kivan to marry is twenty-five.
The divorce rate in Kiva is extremely low. Only 3% of marriages end in divorce. That figure sinks to 1.8% among couples who participate in an arranged marriage. The only reason divorce is allowed in Kiva is for adultery, abuse or abandonment. In the past one hundred years, the only one of those reasons listed on a registered divorce certificate is “adultery.”
Both men and women work outside the home in Kiva in equal numbers. Men and women also share household duties and childcare equally. 45% of Kivas are doctors or medics. 37% design and improve computers and communication technology. 12% serve as teachers or professors. 5% work for ComTrans or other support industries. Just .05% serve as parsons.
Although there is no marriage “ceremony” or “reception”, when a couple has their first child, a formal dinner party is given, hosted by the four grandparents to celebrate and support the new family.
Children are considered essentially infants until seven years of age. They are dressed, bathed, fed by their parent’s hand. Children have no responsibilities around the home or in the community and allowed to play all day.
Kivas are considered adults at the age of fourteen, there is no development period considered “adolescence.”
Education
Kivans consider learning to begin as soon as a child emerges from the womb. From birth to age seven, they are constantly exposed to books, music, drawing, and tinkering with technology. At age seven, children are sent to Primary School to receive a general education in reading, writing, math, history, and science. At age fourteen, an aptitude test is given to all students and Kivans are sent to either sent to the Medical University in Kiva, the Seminary in Lutrenia, or given an apprenticeship in other fields. The Kivans do not consider the School of Engineering in Zantumay or the Teacher’s College in Harawak to be quality institutions and therefore use apprenticeship programs for those who have aptitudes in those fields.
Government
Kivans vote for their two representatives on the Sekai Council. Representatives serve a term of seven years. Any Kivan man or woman, over the age of forty-five can be elected to represent Kiva on the Sekai council.
A Governor for the territory is elected once every three years. Any Kivan man or woman, over the age of thirty can run for Governor. Once a Governor is elected, they appoint someone to serve as their Lieutenant Governor, and select a cabinet of two advisors.
The population is divided up into three different villages. Each village has a mayor. Mayors are elected by the people of that village and serve a two-year term.
All elected officials in Kiva, Sekai representatives, Governors and Mayors, can only serve two consecutive terms.
Kivas over the age of fourteen can vote.
Currency and Commerce
The Kivas use the same currency as all the other territories: trade of goods or services or Virium rations.
Kiva provide medical care for all of Enova. They run hospitals in all four territories as well as manufacture pharmaceuticals for all of Enova. While every territory has physicians and medics of their own races, 44% of physicians and 29% of medics, in any territory, are Kivan.
The next largest industry is technology. Kivas develop and manufacture most of the current technology for the world of Enova. Building off the technology left after the Great Collapse.
Geography
Kiva is the smallest continent in Enova. It is the only territory on the continent. On land, it’s bordered only by water. The Natoak Channel, the Talmor and the Pacui Oceans.
Called, “The Land of Ice and Snow,” Kiva’s entire landmass is always under layers of icesheet and snow. The Ujiu mountain range is made more from glaciers than land.
Climate
Kiva is the coldest continent on Enova. Being snow- and ice-covered, creates freezing temperatures all year round. The "Raddic winds" can cause violent snowstorms that can last for days, and sometimes even weeks, making it very dangerous to stay outside. The coldest month, averages high temperatures in the low 30s. The warmest month, averages high temperatures near 90 degrees; hotter summers and colder winters are not uncommon. Annual precipitation amounts range from 20 to 30 inches in the central and eastern parts of the territory, while the southwest has much drier conditions. Six to eight inches of snowfall in the northeastern areas is common every winter.
